It's as if Nathan MacKinnon's feet were dipped and blessed in the holy water of Nova Scotia lakes, which upon being frozen, the likes of MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby transformed into transcendence.

How else can you explain these fleet feet, maddening and magical, like those heels and toes bestowed to the pre-ordained Steve Prefontaine?

"He's just powerful — two or three strides, and all of a sudden, he's gone," said Avalanche teammate Paul Stastny.

It's like he's cracked the code or beat the system — MacKinnon is exceedingly fast, yet exquisitely smooth too. When he places, then laces, his size-12 CCM Tacks upon his feet, the Avalanche changes. The balance of power in the NHL changes. No, this isn't Wayne Gretzky or something — though MacKinnon did just break "The Great One's" record for 13 consecutive games with a point by an 18-year-old. But his happy feet are changing a franchise's fortunes.

If you're not on the Avalanche bandwagon yet, please try to explain why you're not. Seriously. What's happening is extraordinary.

So bad that it had the No. 1 overall draft pick last summer, Colorado is in the hunt for a division title, chasing the Chicago Blackhawks, whom the Avs beat this week, and the St. Louis Blues, Saturday's opponent at the Pepsi Center. This could very well be the biggest Avs game in four years.

Thursday, after MacKinnon Peyton'd a pass through traffic, a game-winning assist with less than a minute left in overtime, coach Patrick Roy called him special.

That's a pretty powerful word for an 18-year-old, Roy was reminded Friday.

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"Yes, it is," Roy said matter-of-factly, "and he's been outstanding since the start of the season. I've mentioned many times how happy I am with him, especially because how receptive he is to our teaching. He's looking to get better every day. He has great offensive skills, and he improved his game tremendously defensively.

"His skating is so powerful. And for anybody who watches a game, when he starts to get going, everybody's on the edge of their seats. That's what we were looking for when we drafted him — someone who was not only a good hockey player, but someone who would entertain our fans and give them a good reason to come to the game."

Since Jan. 1, only Toronto Maple Leafs star Phil Kessel (33) has more points than MacKinnon's 27, which are more than legends Alex Ovechkin (26) and Crosby (24).

Let that marinate for a moment.

I remember a scene from a book by John Ed Bradley. He was describing his roommate's over-the-top affinity for beautiful writing. Reading a book by Flannery O'Connor, the roommate suddenly slung the book at a couch. Wrote Bradley: " 'Sonofa(gun),' he said, rubbing the goose bumps on his arms."

Well, the other night, I nearly slung my remote at the other couch. MacKinnon stood near the right boards behind his blue line, the puck stuck to his stick. He patiently waited for an opponent to approach. And when he did, MacKinnon pushed the puck left, then even faster pulled it right — like an Allen Iverson crossover — and then? Whoosh! MacKinnon catapulted down the ice to create a play. I recorded the play on my phone. I tweeted it. I showed it to Avalanche players after practice the next day.

"He just takes off," captain Gabe Landeskog said.

Stastny compared him to a video-game hockey player: "And you don't have to use the turbo button, he's just gone."

How does MacKinnon explain it? How did he get disproportionately fast?

"I worked really hard on my power skating, three to four times a week at 6 o'clock in the morning," he said of growing up in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, also Crosby's hometown. "My dad drove me to the small little rink every day, and there was a little group that goes on. I was pretty fortunate that I picked it up pretty quick. I can't say there was something I exactly did; I wasn't Ivan Drago in 'Rocky IV' with machines or anything like that. I think I was just pretty fortunate to be a good skater."

Good skater? Yeah, he's simply a good skater like O'Connor is just a good writer.

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